Alumna Kendra Jones ‘18’s A Test of Taste Takes to the Stage in New York City
Following a successful premiere and many exciting opportunities, Kendra Jones ‘18’s one-act play, A Test of Taste, returned to the NYC stage.
Since graduating from York College of Pennsylvania, Kendra Jones ‘18 has found herself involved in a plethora of athletic and creative work. From working in Columbia University’s Athletics Department as an Intramural Sports Program Assistant to officiating women’s college basketball in New York City, teaching for a creative writing nonprofit, Writopia Lab, to reviewing on-and off-Broadway shows, and even substituting at private schools within the city, you are sure to find Jones busy in New York City.
Jones found her latest successful endeavor onstage. Her one-act play, A Test of Taste, returned to the New York City stage for the 2025 summer. A show based on true events, Jones expressed excitement about being able to share her work and show everything she has learned since venturing into the world of creative writing, a path she hadn’t expected to find herself pursuing.
From Science to the Arts
Jones came to York College after being recruited by a former track and field coach and hearing about her cousin’s positive experience there. Her goal was to become a veterinarian, so she applied as a Biology major with a pre-veterinary concentration.
However, Jones soon found herself struggling in a few of her biology classes. At the same time, she came across a creative writing workshop offered at the College as part of their Creative Writing minor. It wasn’t long before she discovered her spark for writing and committed to taking more workshop classes.
“I enjoyed the structure aspect of biology,” Jones said. “Then, when I got into creative writing, it was the complete opposite; it was very unstructured. I really found the joy in that, where we could do whatever we wanted in terms of writing, and it took off from there. I couldn’t get away from it.”
Jones rapidly began gaining experience in the writing field. Not only did she have the opportunity to intern for a newspaper in her hometown, but Jones later became the editor-in-chief of The Spartan Newspaper and a publisher of The York Review, York College’s literary magazine.
“Being part of those publications was incredible and a really shaping experience in what I started considering as options after college,” Jones said.
Jones even got involved with theatre after taking dance classes with Lyn Bergdoll at York College, which counted toward her PE requirement. Bergdoll encouraged Jones to audition for her first show at The Belmont Theatre in 2014, and she continued auditioning and performing there until she moved to New York in 2018.
“It’s incredible to think that my time in theatre has now come full circle from acting to now reviewing and writing my own theatre,” she said.
Jones graduated from York College in 2018 with a double major in Biology and Professional Writing and a minor in Creative Writing. In 2021, she received her Master of Fine Arts in Nonfiction Writing from Columbia University.
A Test of Taste
Jones began working on her first one-act play in 2024, inspired by the many on-and off-Broadway productions she would review.
A Test of Taste tells the story of a small group of New York panelists from Craigslist hired to taste-test products and rate them, leading to an unexpected twist at the end. Jones revealed that not only is the story based on true events, but the unrestrained characters are based on individuals she knew from her experience as a taste-tester.
“It’s the first job I had when I moved to the city,” Jones said. “I had gotten immediately into the gig life, and I found this job on Craigslist, and I showed up. I still occasionally do it to this day.”
The show premiered in fall 2024 and returned to New York in summer 2025. She recently finished a full-length version of the show, which delves deeper into who the characters are when they’re at their most vulnerable moments compared to how they act in public settings.
According to Jones, the main takeaway from the show is all about our personas and how we wish to be perceived by others. The version of ourselves we choose to show in public can vastly differ from who we are when we are alone, which is often what our true selves are like.
Because of this focus, Jones always puts a lot of consideration into casting.
“Since they are based on true stories, I really have this version of characters and set of everything in my head,” Jones said. “And it’s important to me to get it as close as possible to what I imagine happening.”
“So casting, of course, is always a challenge, making sure I get it right,” Jones continued. “And then making sure the set is as close to as I see it, especially depending on where the space is, what the theatre’s like, what they provide as set and props versus where I need to provide myself.”
Jones will also produce another play, On Burnside Mountain, in October 2025. It is also based on a true story.
Pursuing What You Love
Jones has expressed how amazing it is to see her hard work come to life on stage and credits much of her preparedness to her time at York.
Upon reflection, Jones found that many of the responsibilities, leadership roles, academics, and extracurriculars she had to juggle in college were similar to the multitasking she does now with her many jobs and personal pursuits.
Thanks to the support and guidance she received during her college years, Jones finds joy in the many places she works for a living. In particular, Writopia is her absolute passion and favorite job, as it allows her to mentor and educate young writers while continuing to foster the joy in creative writing that had been instilled in her.
Most importantly, her time at York College taught her not to fear jumping into new challenges and interests. Doing so led to her discovering her love of creative writing and even forming a close mentorship with Dr. Travis Kurowski, an Associate Professor of Creative Writing.
“I’m incredibly proud of, and not at all surprised by, the many successes Kendra has had since graduating, most recently her play running in Manhattan,” Dr. Kurowski said. “I’m continually impressed by the talent of our writing students, and the great education they receive while at York, preparing them for Manhattan or wherever they want to apply themselves. Kendra has never doubted this, and so she’s opened these doors for herself. No doubt they will keep opening, and she’ll continue to walk through.”
Along with her grandparents, who have always been the people she’s found in her corner, cheering her on, Dr. Kurowski has supported Jones through many highs and lows.
“He’s just consistently there to remind me that I am a writer, and sometimes, all an artist needs in the moment is to be reminded that they are doing exactly what they should be doing,” Jones said.
Jones has kept that in mind as she shifts her focus onto her next play. She will also continue to work on a nonfiction book about a German woman who grew up during World War II in Coburg, Germany, combining memoir, oral testimony, interviews, and research.
“The book ultimately examines our relationship, my own experience, having this woman become more of a grandmotherly figure to me, but also realizing that I’m not a neutral observer,” Jones said. “And it also documents my own travels to Germany to her hometown last year (2024). I spent holidays with her family over there and interviewed them, talked with them, spent time with them.”
When it came to advice, Jones emphasized how important it is for new graduates to take care of themselves, especially their physical and mental health.
“Prioritize your health,” Jones said. “Go outside, travel, get fresh air. No matter where you’re at in the world, stay active. Challenge yourself to do something that seems impossible. Test your limits mentally and physically.”
But most of all, Jones urged graduates and anyone entering the workforce to find work they are passionate about.
“Find a job that you love. You might not find it right after graduating, you might have to completely uproot your life and change career paths, but never be afraid to chase your passions,” she said.
“I promised myself when I committed to graduate school that I would make it in the city and never hold a job that felt like just work. My work, all my jobs, motivate me, excite me. They all build me. I’m proud to have held that promise to myself.”
